All posts tagged Shelby Cobra

The name Shelby will forever be known among automobile enthusiasts: Carroll Shelby was responsible for the look of a special-edition Ford Mustang, the Shelby Cobra and other “muscle cars” from the mid-1960s and the years that followed—all the way to the super-charged Dodge Viper of the 1990s.

Yet few people outside the subscription base of Autosport magazine know much about the man himself. Luckily, Shelby, who died last week at the age of 89, cooperated with British auto writer Rinsey Mills for an authorized biography that makes a start toward filling in his story.

When Aston Martin’s racing team needed a driver capable of putting its DBR1 sports car in the winner’s circle at Le Mans in 1959, it turned to Carroll Shelby. In the mid 1960s Ford Motor Co. was struggling in its attempt to develop a world-beating race car. It called on Shelby, who reworked the Ford GT40 and turned it into a champion.

The famous driver, racing-team boss and car designer from Texas who created the Shelby Cobra sports car died Thursday night at Baylor Hospital in Dallas. The cause of death was not disclosed but Shelby had been in failing health for some time. He was 89.

If you are looking for trends in the collector-car world, Scottsdale, Ariz., is a good place to start. The big auto-auction weekend is Jan. 21 through 23 this year, but the buildup begins weeks before as big auction companies fight for last-minute consignments, get their catalogs together and preview their best lots.

For many years “Scottsdale” was shorthand for the huge Barrett-Jackson Auction Co. sale that takes place in giant tents sprawled across the desert. It kicks off the year and is a bellwether for the market’s condition. More recently several rival auction companies have moved in and taken slices of the action while also expanding the scope of collectible cars up for bid. One recent arrival is Gooding & Co., a house known for coming up with interesting, eclectic lots ranging from the most desirable 1960s European sports cars to American pickup trucks from the 1940s and 1950s.